The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

19.12.2019 Dozens face charges ahead of new protests against Belarus-Russia integration

Nearly forty people have been summoned to the police over their involvement in two protests against planned integration with Russia held in central Minsk on December 7 and 8. The demonstrations were not allowed by the authorities and the city police department had warned the protesters against joining the assemblies.

05.12.2019 Election echo: more activists convicted of illegal protesting

At least eight opposition activists have been found guilty of joining the illegal demonstrations held in central Minsk in November.

03.12.2019 Viasna alerts UN Special Rapporteurs to increased repression of peaceful protesters

Activists of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” have written to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus. The urgent communication comes as a response to the recent boost in repression suffered by the participants in peaceful protests held as part of the parliamentary elections.

10.09.2019 FIDH: Russian Pro-Democracy Protesters Undeterred by Repression

In a series of protests this summer, around 100,000 people took to the streets in Moscow to support independent candidates for elections to the Moscow City Council, which will take place on 8 September. The disproportionate reaction—brute force and prosecution—used by the Russian National Guard and the police to suppress this outpouring of civic mobilization belies the political establishment’s fear of dissent. A new report from FIDH provides a complete account of the protests—whose high level of youth participation suggests a trend of growing political engagement among the young generation—and the accompanying violations of human rights.

29.08.2019 Belarus police detain Moscow protester

Nikita Chirtsov, a Russian national, has been detained in Minsk at the request of the Moscow law enforcement, according to ovdinfo.org, an independent human rights media project on political persecution in Russia.

24.07.2019 Are there alternatives to freedom of peaceful assembly in Belarus?

People who participate in a peaceful assembly usually expect a certain reaction from the authorities. However, the situation with the freedom of peaceful assembly in Belarus is far from being perfect: people who come out to streets to raise their concerns publicly are often arrested and fined.

04.05.2019 Ensure exercise of freedom of peaceful assembly!

Joint statement by human rights organizations Minsk, May 3, 2019

25.04.2019 Opposition cites excessive policing charge to call off first Chernobyl remembrance rally in 30 years

The organizers of Charnobylski Shliakh, an annual demonstration held on April 26 in Minsk to remember the victims of the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Plant explosion, say there will be no rally this year after the city police department charged them 5,700 rubles (or USD 2,700) for policing the event.

22.04.2019 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders condemns Brest arrests

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary arrest and judicial harassment of Mr. Uladzimir Vialichkin, an environmental rights defender and member of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” (HRC “Viasna”), as well as other 17 environmental defenders, in the context of the repression of an environmental protest movement against the construction of a battery plant in Brest.

15.04.2019 Viasna member detained among protests in Brest

At least 10 people, including human rights activist Uladzimir Vialichkin, were arrested on Friday in Brest for their alleged involvement in a series of rallies protesting the construction of a battery factory, which local environmental groups view as a potential hazard for the city.

02.04.2019 Report on monitoring peaceful assemblies on March 25 in Minsk

On March 25, 2019, several peaceful assemblies dedicated to the 101st anniversary of the proclamation of the Belarusian People's Republic took place in Minsk.

27.03.2019 Report on monitoring peaceful assembly on March 24 in Minsk

On March 24, 2019, a peaceful meeting dedicated to the 101st anniversary of the proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic was held in Kiev Park in Minsk.

26.03.2019 Freedom Day celebrations marred by excessive police interference

At least 15 people were detained last evening in central Minsk while trying to join an unauthorized assembly to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic.

25.03.2019 HRDs tell UN Human Rights Committee about importance of independent observation

The UN Human Rights Committee is preparing General comments on the right to freedom of assembly and asked non-governmental organizations to report on the observance of this right by sending their ideas and recommendations.